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Hercryinghorrified，terrified，anddisgustedhim。Itwasallsodreary，thehorribleweatheroutside，thebeginningofacoldinhishead，theschoolroomfirealmostout，everyone’sbadtemper，includinghisown，andthissuddenhorriblejumping-to-lifeofagrown-uphumanbeing。She，meanwhile，wastoodeeplyinvolvednowinthewatersofherafflictiontocareverydeeplywhosawherorwhatanyonesaidtoher。Shedidfeeldimlythatsheoughtnottobecryinginfrontofasmallboyofeightyearsold，andthatitwouldbebettertohideherselfinherbedroom，butshedidnotmind——sheCOULDnotmind——herneuralgiawastoobad。
“It’stheneuralgiainmyhead，“shesaidinamuffledconfusedvoice。Thathecouldunderstand。Healsohadpainsinhishead。Hedrewclosertoher，flingingalongingbackwardlookatthedoor。
Shewentoninconvulsedtones：
“It’sthepain——awakeallnight，andthelessons。Ican’tmakethemattend；theylearnnothing。They’renotafraidofme——theyhateme。
I’veneverreallyknownchildrenbefore——“
Hedidnotknowwhattosay。HaditbeenMaryorHelentheformulawouldhavebeensimple。Hemovedhislegsrestlesslyoneagainsttheother。
MissJoneswenton：
“Andnow，ofcourse，Imustgo。It’squiteimpossibleformetostaywhenImanagesobadly——“ShelookedupandsuddenlyrealisedthatitwastrulyJeremy。“You’reonlyalittleboy，butyouknowverywellthatIcan’tmanageyou。AndthenwhereamItogoto？NoonewilltakemeafterI’vebeensuchafailure。“
Thecolourstoleintohischeeks。Hewasimmenselyproud。Nogrown-
uppersonhadeverbeforespokentohimasthoughhewashimselfagrown-upperson——alwayslaughingathimlikeUncleSamuel，ortalkingdowntohimlikeAuntAmy，ordespisinghimlikeMr。
Jellybrand。ButMissJonesappealedtohimsimplyasonegrown-uptoanother。Unfortunatelyhedidnotintheleastknowwhattosay。Theonlythinghecouldthinkofatthemomentwas：“Youcanhavemyhandkerchief，ifyoulike。It’sprettyclean——“
Butshewenton：“Ifmybrotherhadbeenalivehewouldhaveadvisedme。Hewasasplendidman。HerowedinhiscollegeboatwhenhewasatCambridge，butthat，ofcourse，wasfortyyearsago。Hecouldkeepchildreninorder。Ithoughtitwouldbesoeasy。Perhapsifmyhealthhadbeenbetteritwouldn’thavebeensohard。“
“Doyourpainscomeoften？“askedJeremy。
“Yes。They’reverybad。“
“Ihavethem，too，“saidJeremy。“It’sgenerally，Iexpect，becauseIeattoomuch——atleast，theJampotusedtosayso。They’reinmyheadsometimes，too。AndthenI’mreallysick。Doyoufeelsick？“
MissJonesbegantopullherselftogether。Shewipedhereyesandpattedherhair。
“It’smyneuralgia，“shesaidagain。“It’sfrommyeyespartly，I
expect。“
“It’sbettertobesick，“continuedJeremy，“ifyoucanbe——“
Sheflunghimthenadesperatelook，asthoughshewerereallyananimalatbay。
“Yousee，Ican’tgoaway，“shesaid。“I’venowheretogoto。I’venofriends，norrelations，andnoonewilltakemefortheirchildren，ifMrs。ColesaysIcan’tkeeporder。“
“ThenIsupposeyou’dgototheworkhouse，“continuedJeremy，pursuinghercasewithexcitedinterest。“That’swhattheJampotalwaysusedtosay，thatonedayshe’dendintheworkhouse；andthat’sahorribleplace，SHEsaid，wheretherewasnothingbutporridgetoeat，andsometimestheytookallyourclothesoffandscrubbedyourbackwiththathardyellowsoaptheywashHamletwith。“
Hiseyesgrewwidewiththehorriblepicture。
“Oh，MissJones，youmustn’tgothere！“
“Wouldyoumind，“shesaid，“justgettingmesomewaterfromthejugoverthere？There’saglassthere。“
Stillproudoftheleveltowhichhehadbeenraised，butpuzzledbeyondanywordsastothisnewrealisationofMissJones，hefetchedherthewater，then，standingquiteclosetoher，hesaid：
“Youmuststaywithus，always。“
Shelookedupathim，andtheyexchangedaglance。
WiththatglanceMissJoneslearntmoreaboutchildrenthanshehadeverlearntbefore——more，indeed，thanmostpeoplelearninalltheirmortallives。
“Ican’tstay，“shesaid，andsheevensmiledalittle，“ifyou’realwaysnaughty。“
“Wewon’tbenaughtyanymore。“Hesighed。“Itwasgreatfun，ofcourse，butwewon’tdoitanymore。Weneverknewyouminded。“
“NeverknewIminded？“
“Atleast，weneverthoughtaboutyouatall。Helendidsometimes。
Shesaidyouhadaheadachewhenyouwereveryyellowinthemorning，butIsaiditwasonlybecauseyouwereold。Butwe’llbegoodnow。I’lltellthemtoo——“
Thenheadded：“Butyouwon’tgoawaynowevenifwe’renotalwaysgood？Wewon’talwaysbe，Isuppose；andI’mgoingtoschoolinSeptember，anditwillbebetterthen，Iexpect。I’mtooold，really，tolearnwithgirlsnow。“
Shewantedterriblytokisshim，and，hadshedoneso，thewholegoodworkofthelastquarterofanhourwouldhavebeenundone。Hewasawareofhertemptation；hefeltitintheair。Shesawthewarninginhiseyes。Themomentpassed。
“Youwon’tgoaway，willyou？“hesaidagain。
“Notifyou’regood，“shesaid。
IV
Halfanhourlater，whenMaryandHelenreturnedfromtheirwalk，theywereaddressedbyJeremy。
“Shewascryingbecausewe’dbeensonaughty，andshehadpainsinherhead，andherbrotherwasdead。Herbrotherwasverystrong，andheusedtorowinaboatfortyyearsago。Shetoldmeallaboutit，justasthoughI’dbeenAuntAmyorMother。Andshesaysthatifwegoonbeingnaughtyshe’llgoaway，andnooneelsewillhaveher，becausethey’llhearaboutourhavingbeennaughty。AndItoldherabouttheworkhouseandtheporridgeandtheyellowsoapthattheJampottoldusof，anditwouldbeawfulifshewenttherebecauseofus，wouldn’tit？“
“Awful，“saidMary。
ButHelensaid：“Shewouldn’tgothere。She’dtakealittlehouse，likeMissDobell，andhavetea-partiesonThursdays——somewhereneartheCathedral。“
“No，shewouldn’t！“saidJeremyexcitedly。“Howcouldshetakealittlehouseifshehadn’tanymoney？Shetoldmeshehadn’t，andnofriends，nornobody，andshecriedlikeanything——“Hepausedforbreath，thenconcluded：“Sowe’vegottobegoodnow，andlearnsums，andnotmakeherjump。Reallyandtruly，wemust。“
“Ialwaysthoughtyouwereverysillytomakesomuchnoise，“saidHeleninasuperiorfashion。“YouandMary——babies！“
“We’renotbabies，“shoutedJeremy。
“Yes，youare。“
“No，we’renot。“
MissJoneswasnolongerthesubjectoftheconversation。
ThatsamedayithappenedthatrumourswerebroughttoMrs。ColethroughRose，thehousemaid，orsomeothermediumforthefirsttime，ofMissJones’sincapacity。
ThateveningJeremywasspendinghislasthalf-hourbeforebedtimeinhismother’sroomhappilyinacornerwithhistoyvillage。HesuddenlyheardhismothersaytoAuntAmy：
“I’mafraidMissJoneswon’tdo。Ithoughtshewasmanagingthechildren，butnowIhearthatshecan’tkeeporderatall。I’msorry——it’ssodifficulttogetanyone。“
Jeremysprangupfromthefloor，startlingtheladies，whohadforgottenthathewasthere。
“She’sallright，“hecried。“Reallysheis，Mother。We’regoingtobeasgoodasanything，reallyweare。Youwon’tsendheraway，willyou？？
“MydearJeremy，“hismothersaid，“I’dforgottenyouwerethere。
Rosesaysyoudon’tdoanythingMissJonestellsyou。“
“Roseissilly，“heanswered。“Shedoesn’tknowanythingaboutit。
Butyouwillkeepher，won’tyou，Mother？“
“Idon’tknow——ifshecan’tmanageyou——“
“Butshecanmanageus。We’llbegoodasanything，Ipromise。Youwillkeepher，won’tyou，Mother？“
“Really，Jeremy，“saidAuntAmy，“tobotheryourmotherso！Andit’snearlytimeyouwenttobed。“
Hebrushedheraside。“Youwillkeepher，Mother，won’tyou？“
“Itdepends，dear，“saidMrs。Cole，laughing。“Yousee——“
“No——we’llbebadwitheveryoneelse，“hecried。“Wewill，really——
everyoneelse。Andwe’llbegoodwithMissJones。“
“Well，solongasyou’regood，dear，“shesaid。“I’dnoideayoulikedhersomuch。“
